The present invention relates to dispensers of the type which are used in conjunction with inverted bottles of water. In particular, the invention relates to dispensers which are intended to operate a valved closure which seals the opening of a bottle, commonly containing water.
For many years, it has been and continues to be common to see around offices and factories an inverted 5-gallon container sitting atop a cooler to provide drinking water to office and factory workers. In the past, such containers of water were placed on the coolers after removing the closure on the container. This process often resulted in at least some spillage of water when replacement of the supply container became necessary.
In the early 1990's, substantial numbers of bottlers began to offer dispensing systems which included a valved closure and a feed tube built into the cooler for operating the valved closure. These features, and others, addressed and solved the spillage problem referenced above. Examples of such systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,778 and No. 5,647,416. Such systems include elaborate componentry and structures designed, among other things, to filter the air which replaces dispensed fluid. A further example of a system which filters air entering the container as fluid is dispensed is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,188. Bottlers, and more particularly, consumers, have come to recognize the advantages of systems which eliminate the difficulty associated with inverting a bottle of water with an open and large diameter spout. However, the advantages of air-filtering are open to question. Indeed, the elaborate and expensive componentry needed to control air entering the container has given rise to the need for a simpler non-spill dispensing arrangement. The closed fluid paths associated with complicated systems used in air-filtered dispensing create an environment which may be conducive, under certain circumstances, to the growth of bacteria and other detrimental pathenogenic agents.
Consumers have become more interested in the use of bottled water in their homes, as well as in offices and factories. Crock-type dispensers, which are not refrigerated, have become commonplace in kitchens throughout the country, particularly in regions where tap water is either expensive or of questionable quality. Even where tap water is inexpensive and of high quality, many consumers feel that bottled water is a significant improvement over water obtained from a municipal source. It is therefore desirable to provide a dispensing system for use in homes which takes advantage of the non-spill convenience of a valved container of bottled water.
In accordance with the present invention, a probe is provided wherein all of the surfaces of the probe are in plain sight and can be easily seen and cleaned. The probe of the present invention has flutes, rather than enclosed feed tubes. The probe has a cruciform cross-section which defines the flutes and which create fluid pathways for the entry of air into a container and the exit of water from a container through a passageway in a valved cap. The probe is supported by a base which contains apertures through which the water may fall into the reservoir of a cooler or crock-type dispenser. The probe includes a grooved tip for retaining that portion of the valved cap which reseals the central tube upon removal of the bottle from the dispenser. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the probe includes lateral disc-shaped supports at the upper end of the probe to support the walls of the central tube as the resealing element of the closure is positioned on the central tube when the container is removed from the dispenser.